


The Path of Humanity

by IcedFairy



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-08
Updated: 2009-12-08
Packaged: 2017-10-27 01:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/290383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcedFairy/pseuds/IcedFairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marisa's immortality research hits a few snags along the way....</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Path of Humanity

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Touhou fanfiction from some time ago, and so you can see it lacks the polish. Still I think it touches on some good ideas, and I reference it once later so I feel it's important to post.

"Oi.  Alice.  It's me, Marisa."  I called out as I entered her home. 

"I know.  You're the only one who doesn't knock." Came her cool reply.  Since that was as close to a welcome I could expect, I entered the cottage.

As I leaned my broom I took a quick look around to see if anything had changed since I was last here.  Not much had shifted about, except against the wall there was a chest. 

Well random chests in houses are meant to be opened.  However, as I went for the latch, I noticed one of Alice's most disturbingly cute dolls looking plaintively from on top of the chest.  "Why is this doll sitting here?  It's not like you to leave your dolls scattered about."

"The one on the chest?"  Alice, asked as she wandered into the room.  "I decided that would be her chest.  That way any wandering heroes taking something from it would lose karma."

I frowned.  "I always hate those chests.  I mean you can steal everything else without penalty, but then one random unmarked chest beats you up for doing something you're supposed to everywhere else.  Seems like bad design to me."

Alice shrugged, while sending her dolls to straighten up the room.  "Well in some games you aren't supposed to steal things.  Anyway why did you drop by?  I can have tea ready if you're staying."

"No thanks.  I just needed to borrow some century old yucca root.  I ran out, and taking the time to search it out would force me to start over again."  My eyes flicked over some of the other items on display as I made the request.  Alice isn't nearly as awesome a collector as I am, but she does well in her limited fashion.  Not that I'm impressed by that sort of thing.  
   
The doll otaku gave me a despairing look.  "Are you working on that potion of immortality again?  I thought you gave that up after the trial of guts.  Why don't you just become a Youkai?"  Her voice was faking casual disinterest.

"Why do you keep trying to make self aware dolls instead of just making doll like youkai?  I know you have the power for that."  I began to look over the book shelves for any writings I hadn't seen yet.  "Actually I'm not really sure I know the difference between the two."

Alice shrugged.  "What's the difference between an immortal human and a youkai?  A few different rules.  In fact if you become a magician youkai there won't even be that."

I frowned and flipped open a book that I'd only manage to skim once.  That reasoning seemed wrong somehow, but I couldn't think of why.  "Hm... Hey, I was reading that."  One of Alice's dolls had snatched up the book and replaced it in the shelf.

"I'm already giving you this, you can't have the book as well."  Alice coldly replied handing over the components personally.  I thought for a moment about pushing the matter to see if I could get her to be angry for a second, but I really did need to get back to my experiment.  "Thanks, Alice."

As I started out the door Alice went back to having her dolls clean the house.  "Hey," she called out as I opened the door, "Don't do something stupid and poison yourself."  As usual she was engrossed in her work, though Shanghai was just floating looking at me with her normal disparaging expression.

I grinned, "It's me.  When do I ever make mistakes?"

* * *

Sadly the experiment evaporated, so I took notes on it and started to think on how to improve.  But the question kept coming back to me.  What was the difference between a Youkai and a Human?  I knew the difference between specific Youkai and humans of course, but I couldn't say what made the two different in general.  It annoyed me.  So I decided it was time to have the question annoy someone else. 

* * *

"I see the cats are being lazy again."  Patchouli gave me an annoyed glance.

"So cold Patchy.  This is why you don't get many guests."

"You aren't a guest.  You're a thief."

"Thieves can be great guests."

"I wouldn't know.  What do you want?  If you were just here to steal books you would have been reading by now."  The sickly magician turned her full attention on to me.

"Huh, is that type of paranoia one of the differences between Youkai and humans?  Reimu never accuses me of stealing from her."  I asked casually while looking over the various half written documents on the tables.  Sadly nothing I could use.

Patchouli snorted, "The Red White knows she doesn't own anything worth taking.  Youkai and humans are the same in that regard."

"Really?  Then other then power and lifespan what is the difference?"  I doubted Patchouli had an answer, but maybe she could give me an idea, hopefully something better then these notes.

"In addition to lifespan and power, youkai feed on Spiritual and Conceptual Energy, while humans use conventional chemical energy."  Patchouli returned her gaze to her book.  "Everything else is within standard margin of error."

'Is this the same margin of error as between cats and humans?' I wondered to myself.  "Then I guess you don't really need that sandwich half."

Years of training allowed me to leap back dodging a set of bullets.  I noted that they had all been aimed at where my feet had been.  A nice theatrical touch if poor tactics.  The background music that had suddenly turned on was also pretty impressive.

"I'm afraid touching that sandwich, which I spent a lot of time on, started a boss fight," said the small demon librarian hovering over the area.

I smiled and readjusted my hat.  "Boss fight?  Hm...  You look more like a treasure box mid boss.  Which means that must be some great treasure!"

"Mid Boss?!?"  The little demon formed a stream of magic kunai that shot in my direction.  "I'll blast you back to your last save point for that!"

As I weaved through the pattern up towards my battle, I thought I heard Patchouli mutter something about 'gaining strength through the chaos of fighting' while looking satisfied.  She was so difficult to understand at times.

* * *

Sadly, Patchouli had finished the sandwich by the time I knocked Koakuma out of the sky.  I hadn't really wanted it, but it seemed lame that I won the battle and lost the prize.  Cut scenes like that are always annoying.  So I borrowed a book on my way out as a consolation.

I was halfway though it when inspiration struck.  It took me two days of pawing though my old notes and another week of side experiments but I was able to pull together a formula.  It was simple, efficient (though requiring immense power), and in the end something completely different from the immortality potion I was expecting.  I stared at the formula and decided to put it aside for now.

I decided it would be good to take a break from all my work.  And the best place to relax would be Reimu's.

* * *

I took the familiar route to the shrine and gave my normal greeting for this time of day.  "Oi, Reimu!  What's for dinner?"

Two faces looked out at me from the house.  "Oh.  The Black White one came.  That's why you cooked so much food isn't it?" said Gensoukyo's resident Oni.

"Well it's usually someone.  Though you should donate something to the shrine before just mooching off me."  The miko said with her usual look.

As I landed I noticed a familiar two tailed cat there as well.  Orin rarely assumed human form though, unless the hell crow was there too, but I imagined she'd be grabbing her share of the pot as well.  "I didn't bring any money but I brought sake.  That should do right?"

Reimu shrugged in her usual noncommittal fashion and went back to finishing the dinner.  It looked like curry this time.  "I suppose that'll cover things."  She tasted the concoction nodded and then placed it on the table.  "It's been a while since you dropped by.  Big experiment?"

"Yeah.  Turned out weird though."  Those two sets of far too perceptive eyes were turned on me so I changed the subject.  "By the way, why are you down here Suika?  I thought you'd set up a home in the Celestial Realms?"

Suika smiled and made a bicep.  A gesture that looked ridiculous even if you knew she could break mountains.  "I was getting bored, so I figured I'd go punch a god.  Maybe go drinking with the Kappa and Tengu too for old times sake.  But it seemed rude to do that at dinner so I figured I'd sleep over here and then bust up the mountain in the morning."

As the dinner began I looked over at Reimu.  "Not that I care, but she's threatening a god.  Shouldn't you be doing something as a miko?"

Reimu just sipped her soup.  "I figure their shrine maiden can handle it.  It'll be good practice."

I shrugged.  "I'm not sure if an Oni counts as practice, so much as being tossed into the deep end."  I looked a Suika.  "Why are Oni so much more powerful then most youkai anyway?"

Suika finished off her sake saucer.  "Because we're Oni that's why."  She poured herself another cup.  "Some of it is because we're weak to fried beans of course.  Most of it comes because were straight forward youkai.  Not liars."  She smiled at me.  "So you won't be able to copy that.  Magicians don't get weaknesses, and you aren't likely to become honest any time soon."

"Hey."  I was about to make a retort when I noticed Orin switching to human form.

"Are you going to become a Youkai sis?  That would be a little sad."  The kassha's tail twitched.  "You'd probably outlive me then, and I wouldn't get your corpse when you died."

"Hey!  You shouldn't take my corpse even if you do outlive me."  I tried my best to wave away the comments and my nervousness.  "And who said I was going to become a Youkai?  I'm a perfectly Ordinary Magician already."

Suika chuckled.  "The Tengu set up a betting pool since you busted through the mountain.  I guess they figured someone with that kind of drive for power is bound to try for more."

"Of course I am, but becoming a Youkai is hardly the way to do it.  I'm stronger then most Youkai already anyway."  I looked over at Reimu, who was sitting as unreadable as ever.  Maybe she was a little more quiet then normal.  Still I couldn't ask my question after that bit.  It would seem too suspicious.  Annoying little Oni.

Rin decided to interrupt again.  "Are you certain I can't get your corpse sis?  It's a really strong corpse so I'll bet you'd make an awesome Evil spirit."

"Hm...  You always used to say you 'wanted to be like Mima-sama,' Marisa."  Reimu added helpfully.

* * *

I spent the rest of the dinner convincing the kassha I didn't want to be carted off to hell, and trying to keep all my sake from going down Suika's throat.  At least the meal was pretty hearty, which made up for a lot of that.  After the dinner I hung around a bit more and then left for home.  I hadn't gotten my  question answered, but I had gotten a good meal out of it.  When I really focus on experiments I don't focus on cooking.

* * *

I was just about halfway home when a voice disturbed me.  "Ara Ara.  I'm a little sad."  Turning I saw her.  Yukari, popping up whenever you least expected it.  "You went and asked all those people but didn't think to ask me.  And with us neighbors and all."

I frowned.  "You still haven't told me where you live.  Even though you complain every time there's a party I didn't send an invite."

"Well of course I haven't told you where I live.  You'd steal everything if you knew."  She casually proceeded to use one of her gaps as a chair.

"Hey I wouldn't borrow everything."  Just the good stuff.  "Besides like I keep telling you youkai: you'll live longer so you can take it back when I die."  There was no use in pressing Yukari on why she was here.  She'd either explain things or she more likely wouldn't and only Satori could tell the difference.

"You know people might believe that line if you weren't working on immortality potions," Yukari replied with a half smile.  
   
"So then what is the difference?"

The gap Youkai giggled.  "You've been spending so much time with the shrine maiden.  Don't you know?  Well there's a simple answer.  Youkai cause incidents, humans fix incidents."

Normally I'd accept that and just wander away, but now I couldn't just let that pass.  "That's not the right answer though."  I stated.  "Because humans can cause incidents, and youkai can solve incidents.  Even more so in the outside world from what Kourin occasionally lets slip.  Youkai are just more likely to be selfish."

"Are you calling me selfish?  How cruel Miss Thief."  The gap youkai pretended to be hurt very briefly.  "Well then I'll give you another answer for free to disprove such lies.  Youkai exist to trouble humanity."

I thought about that one for a moment then shook my head.  "Except that's a lie too.  That Hakutaku girl is helpful to humans and occasionally even someone like you will help."  Though I'm not sure if now would count.  "And the Oni don't need humans at all otherwise they'd have never run off."

Yukari's half smile briefly became something more and she paused for a bit.  "Very well little magician.  I'll tell you the difference between a youkai and a human, if you tell me why you want to know."

She knew why I was asking.  She just wanted to make me say it myself.

"..."

Knowing that didn't make it any easier.

"Because I need to decide if I want to become one."

Yukari blinked for a moment.  "Hm....  I see it's possible for people to still surprise me.  I'm tempted to answer now." 

I palmed my Mini Hakkero just in case she decided against the matter.  People who mess with others like that should be charbroiled.

She giggled.  "Oh don't worry.  We'll have time for danmaku play later.  Watching your reaction here is so much more fun.  It's so hard to get you this serious."  The bitch folded her arms and rested her head on them.  "The answer to your question is: nothing."

I blinked.  "What?"

"Youkai is just a term thrown about for many different beings.  There are as many types of Youkai as you can dream of.  The type Magicians turn into are just humans who feed on magic instead of food.  There are some physical changes because of that, but you know all those already.  It's all the same so long as you are willing to accept the changes."

"I thought you said it was the same.  What do you mean by changes?"  As usual she was talking in circles.  I was barely suppressing the urge to blast her, futile as it might be. 

Yukari opened her fan to 'hide' her smile.  "Simple really.  You are who you are because of your frailties.  Perhaps you don't realize it, because of how human you are.  The shortness of your life drives you to live.  Your weakness drives you to seek strength.  You, who stated with no power and who faces those who are naturally talented all the time, should know this better then anyone.  The weakness of your form has driven you your whole life."

"If you change, that will be gone.  Your body will be suffused with power.  Spells will just form at your will.  You can put anything off until tomorrow, because tomorrow will always come.  Do you think Mokou is the same as the rest of you humans?  That is the price you pay.  The irrevocable change of being."

She fixed her eyes to mine.  "And now human, you must decide.  Will you cast aside that humanity and become something more, or will you stay human and follow your drive to wherever it leads?"

I was kind of annoyed.  That was a big long speech for something so simple.  "That's obvious isn't it?  If the big thing about humans is they're supposed to improve themselves I should obviously seek out my goals, regardless of the changes."

The gap Youkai's smile faded a bit.  "I see.  Well it will be interesting having you for a neighbor miss future Magician."

"What are you talking about?  I'm already a perfectly ordinary magician."  I smiled at her look of confusion.  "Though I imagine you will be seeing me for a long while after I perfect my immortality potion."

Yukari just stared at me for a bit, then she began to laugh.  "Even though it doesn't change anything you still pursue your own path.  How wonderfully human.  Perhaps your journey will end differently after all.  It'll be interesting.  If you survive of course."  She rolled backward into her gap and left to who knows where, her laughter hanging in the air.

I on the other hand was already getting ideas for my next experiment.  Maybe if I could combine the shrinking mushrooms with the potion I made previously....

 


End file.
